A Promise
by R011ingThunder
Summary: When your best friend starts dating that no-good Blue Pegasus Playboy, what's a guy supposed to do? Lyon vowed to turn Blue Pegasus into an ice rink, and he's a man of his word. [Mazeverse] Team Lamia family fic and Lyon-centric take on Ren x Sherry
1. The Training of Chelia Blendy

_Welcome to the [Mazeverse]-A post Tenrou AU that explores the tangle of romantic relationships between our favorite guild mages through a series of interconnected short stories. Read these as stand-alone pieces, or follow a relationship through its ups and downs by referencing the tags in the description._

 _Many pairings will be explored (not all at the same time, obviously). Throughout the series, we'll see some: Gruvia, Lyvia, Grayza, Jerza, Nalu, Nali, Lolu, Bixanna, Gale, ElfEver, Miraxus, Laxana, MiraFreed as well as a handful of crackships as we try to pair the spares._

* * *

 **Happy Friday! We hit a new record for faves and story follows on _A Wingman for Christmas_ \- thanks to JcL107, wildalone, Summer Nickels, heathernicole1995, freyarob, Queen O' Hearts 87, and DarlingSpider for making that happen.  
**

 **Today we're going to take a little segue into the world of Lyon and the Lamia Scale team. - K. Chandler**

* * *

"Ice-Make: Snow Dragon!"

Lyon performed the familiar spell with a flourish and a flash of frost.

"Wow, Lyon! Those things get bigger every time! I know I shouldn't be surprised, but—eep!" Chelia hit the ground as the creature—if you could call it that—swooped towards her.

"Focus, Chelia," Lyon scolded. "If you don't keep your attention on your opponent, they are sure to take advantage of that."

"Sorry!"

"Don't be sorry. Get moving," snapped Lyon. He brought the dragon back around with a wave.

"Right. God-Slayer Roar!"

The air rumbled around him. Lyon leapt out of the way easily, returning the attack with a flock of ice eagles. "Too slow. Are you even trying, Chelia?"

"I'm trying," the little girl insisted, dodging the oncoming birds. "I'm guessing that wasn't any good?"

"You didn't even come _close_ to hitting me," remarked Lyon. This time, he sent a barrage of ice bumblebees.

But Chelia blasted them out of the air, sending a shower of ice shards soaring as they shattered.

"That's a little bit better," he said.

Despite her age, Chelia Blendy was a very powerful wizard. It was a waste, as far as Lyon was concerned.

Chelia was a prodigy of sorts. With her special abilities, she could easily have been one of the strongest wizards in Lamia Scale. At least, she _could_ have been if the girl had any discipline at all. But she was young. More than that, Chelia lacked a proper instructor. Although that was understandable; after all, where would one go to learn a Lost Magic?

Lyon knew the importance of having a good teacher. He was even younger than Chelia when he had started studying Ice-Make magic. He had trained under Ur Milkovich, easily one of the greatest mages of all time. Lyon wouldn't have become the wizard he was, without Master Ur's careful instruction.

Though he didn't consider himself remotely qualified to be tutoring the girl, Lyon made sure to spar with Cheila on a regular basis. It was certainly better than nothing. And if nothing else, he might even be able to teach her some discipline.

"Is that all you've got?" he drawled. "And I thought you were stronger than that."

"Hey! I'm strong," said Chelia.

"Doesn't look that way to me."

Lyon's battle-honed senses alerted him to the approach of another mage. He shot the new-comer a quick glance, catching a flash of pink.

Just Sherry. Good.

Lyon relaxed, returning his attention to his young sparring partner.

Despite Sherry's tendency for histrionics, she had enough sense to know not to get in the middle of a fight.

"Lyon, you'll never guess what happened!" gushed Sherry as she rounded the corner. "Ren just confessed his _love_ and—Oops."

"WHAT?!" Lyon's head whipped around, his neck cracking. Battle forgotten, his brows pulled together as he fixed her with an incredulous stare.

"Sorry, didn't know I was interrupting… I can just—" started Sherry.

"Ren Akatsuki? That Blue Pegasus playboy?"

"He's not a playboy, Lyon. He's—"

"Sky-God Dance!"

The blast hit Lyon before he could react, sending him flying across the lawn. With a painful thud, he slammed into the ground, the impact forcing the air from his lungs. He winced.

"Lyon!" cried Sherry.

"I thought you said to stay focused!" said Chelia.

Lyon heard the footsteps as both women rushed to his side. He forced his eyes open.

"Are you okay?" asked Sherry. She hovered above him, biting her lip.

Chelia stood next to her, a rueful hand at the back of her head.

"And _that's_ why you don't get distracted during a fight," Lyon wheezed, fixing the young God-Slayer a pointed look. This wasn't quite how he imagined teaching Chelia this particular lesson, but this seemed as good a time as any.

"Sorry, Lyon! I wasn't _trying_ to hit you! I thought you were watching!"

"How on Earth do you spar without _trying_ to hit your opponent!?" Lyon groaned, a mix of pain and exasperation coloring his voice. Every breath hurt and he just couldn't seem to get enough air...

"That's not what I meant…"

He started to heave himself up, slamming his eyes shut as a sharp pain lanced through his chest. He fought the urge to curl in on himself.

Ribs. Definitely ribs. But that was no surprise. Nobody could walk away from a blow like that completely unscathed. He doubted even Jura could manage that, and he was one of the Ten Wizard Saints.

Taking measured breaths until the pain settled into a dull ache, Lyon opened his eyes slowly. Gingerly, he sat all the way up.

Sherry peered into his face anxiously, blue eyes wide. Always the worrier.

"What hurts? Is anything broken?" Her hands hovered over him as if unsure where to begin her ministrations.

"It's fine." Lyon swatted her hand away. "Stop that."

"But…"

He rolled his eyes. Sherry _would_ panic over something like this. Yes, it hurt, but all of them had experienced much worse over the years. His Cold Emperor days had quite nearly killed all of them, he recalled grimly. He swallowed hard. The very though made him sick to his stomach. He pushed the memory away.

"Maybe let's get him to the infirmary…" Chelia played hem of her skirt. She wouldn't meet his eyes.

Lyon resisted the urge to sigh, seeing as that would likely hurt. "I said it's fine," he said instead. "I don't need—"

But his protests were ignored as a distraught Sherry slung his arm around her shoulders, dragging him to his feet. Chelia followed behind, ushering them along, shooting him guilty looks the entire time.

It was a losing battle, Lyon realized. Once his female teammates set their minds to something, they would have their way, whether he liked it or not.

Clearly, he'd be given no say in the matter.

* * *

 **Chelia is so much fun to write! She's adorable and I love her to bits.  
**

 **Next time, in** ** _[Mazeverse] A Promise_ ,** **Lyon gets some answers:** _"So, what's going on with you and the Blue Pegasus Playboy?" asked Lyon._ **Stop back next Friday for the next installment, or just follow me, Karine of R011ingThunder.**


	2. First Aid and Feelings

**Happy Friday! And an early Happy Christmas to those who celebrate it (and Warmest Winter Wishes to those who don't) :)  
**

 **Last week, we left Lyon in the clutches of the Blendy cousins. As much as I love our girls, I really don't envy him right now...  
**

 **As a side note, I am not a medical professional, so I'm taking creative license with injuries and such. If you get blasted by a God-Slayer (or any other Guild Wizard, for that matter) I would recommend you seek medical advice from a professional. :) - K. Chandler**

* * *

After being manhandled into the Lamia Scale Infirmary, Lyon found himself being poked and prodded by Chelia as she started her examination.

"Well?" asked Sherry.

"Eh…it's kind of hard to say. I don't think he has a concussion," observed Chelia. "Maybe…"

"I'm sitting right here, you know," he reminded them sullenly. Lyon mentally added First Aid Training to his curriculum for Chelia.

"But you can heal him, can't you?"

"I can try…" Chelia frowned. "Do you want me to? I don't want to make things worse…"

"If you have enough magic to waste on this, you should have done a better job of beating me," grumbled Lyon.

"I think she did just fine 'beating you,'" said Sherry crossly, addressing him for the first time.

"And I wasn't even trying!" Chelia piped up, making Sherry glare. "Sorry…" she mumbled, rubbing at the back of her neck awkwardly.

Lyon scoffed. "I hardly call that beating me," he said haughtily. "Had we actually been fighting, I would have kept going." The corners of his mouth twitched upwards mockingly.

"That isn't funny." Sherry's eyes narrowed as she brought a shaky hand up to her hair.

"I'm not laughing."

"You could have been seriously hurt!" Sherry _would_ go off on something like this.

"I hit my side kind of hard when I landed. That's all. There's really no need to worry."

"Why didn't you say something earlier?" Sherry demanded.

"They're just bruised ribs," he said flatly. His crossed his arms over his chest.

"You _said_ you were fine!" Her voice reached a new level of grating.

He rolled his eyes. "Well, clearly you didn't believe me."

"Of course, I didn't! That wouldn't be _love_."

He blinked at her. "And just what is that supposed to mean?"

"It means you're an idiot who pushes himself too hard."

Lyon snorted. "They'll be fine in a day or two. All I need is some ice."

"I'll go fetch some!" said Chelia. Lyon had forgotten their she was there. "I'll be right back," she said. Chelia flashed her teammates a thumbs-up before dashing out the door.

To fetch _ice_? Lyon stared after her, shaking his head in open-mouthed disbelief. "She can't have forgotten that I'm an _Ice-Make_ Wizard, right?"

Sherry sighed fondly, turning to dig through one of the infirmary's storage cabinets. "She's not used to seeing us argue," she said. She shut the cabinet and pulled open a drawer. "She hasn't been with us for as long as Toby and Yuka have."

"That wasn't arguing."

"Yes, but she doesn't know that," said Sherry. "I'll talk to her later. In the meantime…" Sherry plucked an object from the drawer, holding it up dramatically.

"What's that?"

"It's a roll of gauze."

"I can see that. What are you planning to do with it?"

"Wrapping your ribs for you, what else? You'll need to take your shirt off."

Lyon resisted the urge to sigh. Sherry cared deeply for all of her guildmates in Lamia Scale—love, she called it. Lyon suspected that at one point she actually _had_ loved him—or at least harbored quite the serious crush. But thankfully she outgrew her misguided phase. But she and Lyon still shared a special friendship, despite it all. And she still tended to express that in the only way she knew how: by worrying and fussing over him.

And Lyon knew that. So he'd indulge her. For now. Without protest, Lyon undid the buttons of his shirt and shrugged it off. He'd do as she asked, despite knowing that this was the _wrong_ way to go about addressing a rib injury.

Sherry gasped, one hand moving to her mouth. "That isn't _love_ ," she whispered. She ghosted a hand against his left side.

"Hm?" Lyon couldn't quite see what she was looking at, but he imagined there was probably a bruise starting to form at the bottom of his ribcage. And with his fair skin it probably stood out in ghastly contrast, making it looked far worse than it really was. He didn't feel like twisting around to try and confirm his suspicions. The pain had reduced to a dull throb if he stayed still and he wanted to keep it that way.

"I think they're more than bruised, Lyon. You might have actually cracked this one here," Sherry said, frowning.

"Like I said, rough landing," he said dismissively. "Nothing we can do about it now."

"Sorry," said Sherry quietly. "All this is kind of my fault, you know." She unrolled the end of the gauze, keeping tension on it as she looped it around.

"Why is that?" he asked. He hissed, stiffening as she tugged on the bandage, tightened it around his torso. He hoped she didn't notice.

If she did, she didn't comment. Instead, she said, "I was… distracted. I wasn't paying attention, and that's not _love_. If I realized the two of you were sparring out there, I wouldn't have said anything. I should have known better."

"It's okay." Lyon wasn't about to try to convince Sherry that she wasn't to blame. In the past, that sort of thing tended to upset her more.

Sherry's movements were crisp and efficient. A decade of adventures and more than a few near-misses had given all of them ample opportunity to patch each other up. But even after all these years, it still surprised Lyon how his over-dramatic friend could be so clinical when she worked.

She certainly had changed. They all had.

"What was it you wanted to say earlier?"

Sherry shook her head. "It wasn't all that important," she mumbled.

"I find that hard to believe. You wanted to talk, right?"

"No, not like this," said Sherry.

"This is as good a place as any," Lyon pointed out.

"Now?"

"Why not?" he asked.

Sherry shrugged. She looked away.

How much more encouragement did she need? Maybe he'd just rile her up instead.

"So, what's going on with you and the Blue Pegasus Playboy?" asked Lyon, deliberately.

"He's not a playboy, Lyon."

"You still haven't told me what happened." Lyon gave Sherry a pointed glance.

"….You know I've liked Ren for a while now." Sherry spoke slowly, a smile pulling shyly at her lips.

"Since that joint mission."

Sherry nodded. "Well, he told me…that he liked me too."

Lyon pressed his lips together, forcing himself to think before he responded harshly.

He'd never liked this guy. But it was obvious that Sherry did, despite the fact that he was nowhere near good enough for her. Lyon could think of a number of perfectly respectable men that he would have been happy for Sherry to date. How did she end up falling for this philandering Blue Pegasus mage?

"Congratulations," said Lyon, trying hard not to sound sarcastic. "So, are you two together now?" he added.

Sherry nodded, her eyes distant. "Yeah. Blue Pegasus is a little bit far, but Ren thinks we can make it work."

"Oh? And what do you think?" Lyon asked cautiously.

"…I was happy he thought so too," said Sherry.

Well, that settled it. If this was really what Sherry wanted, then Lyon would be supportive of her decision, despite his misgivings. Ren seemed to make her happy, and that was all that mattered.

"I'm happy for you, Sherry," he said warmly. "I'm glad it worked out."

Sherry hummed in agreement.

Lyon caught sight of a glimmer on her finger. "Sherry." He narrowed his eyes. "He didn't _propose_ , did he?"

"Hmm? No, of course not," she laughed. "Don't be silly."

"Well, then what's that?" Lyon pointed at the offending jewelry.

"It's a promise ring." Sherry flushed. She looked away. "He promised that he'd always be faithful. And that I was the only one for him," she said softly, holding her hand up to let the gemstone reflect in the light.

" _Did_ he?" Lyon's jaw clenched. Faithful wasn't a word he'd associate with any of the mages Blue Pegasus. They were insincere, the lot of them.

"Well, you know how he is," said Sherry, with a fond smile.

Lyon _did_ know. Ren was the type of man who didn't admit his feelings easily. At least, not if he truly meant them. And Sherry was describing it as if Ren had poured his heart out. Lyon didn't like it.

Sherry's eyes shimmered with that love that she always talked about, a soft smile playing at her lips. She was serious about Ren Akatsuki.

Even though Lyon had intended to be supportive, for Sherry's sake, he couldn't let this one slide.

No. He'd have to talk to talk with Ren personally. Face-to-face. Man-to-man.

"There. All done," said Sherry, looking him over. She seemed pleased with her handiwork. "How's that?"

Lyon drew an experimental breath, pleasantly surprised by the effectiveness of Sherry's work. He hummed approvingly as he put his shirt back on.

"I have to go," said Sherry. "I promised Ooba that I'd help her out with something this afternoon."

"You'd better get going then. You don't want the old hag to spin you."

Sherry nodded. "And you'd better take it easy this afternoon," she said, pointing. Her finger almost touched his nose. "Lyon, I mean it."

"Certainly."

Lyon smirked. He'd certainly take it _easy_. After all, giving that Blue Pegasus Playboy a piece of his mind couldn't be anything _but_ easy.

* * *

 **Gee, Lyon. Over-protective much? Ha! I love the friendship that Lyon shares with and his team - especially Sherry. Those two have been through a lot together. The promise ring on Sherry's finger is just one reason for the title of this fic. Keep your eyes open for other sorts of promises in upcoming chapters.**

 **Next time, in** ** _[Mazeverse] A Promise_** **, Lyon runs into trouble on his way out of town:** _But he was barely out of the guild when…he ran into the little God-Slayer. Great._

 **Stop back next Friday for the next installment, or just follow me, Karine of R011ingThunder.**


	3. Busted!

**Happy Friday! I hope everyone enjoyed their holidays. Who's looking forward to ringing in the new year?  
**

 **Ready for some more Chelia? Gotta love her! - K. Chandler**

* * *

As soon as Sherry was out of sight, Lyon was out of the infirmary and headed for the Margret Town Train Station. But he was barely out of the guild when…

"Where do you think you're going?"

…he ran into the little God-Slayer. Great.

"Are you back from your little hunt for ice? Or did you need some help with that?"

Chelia jutted out her jaw. "Stop teasing me. You know I wasn't serious. I just wanted to give you and Sherry some space."

Lyon raised an eyebrow, stepping around her. "To do what, exactly?"

"I don't know," said Chelia. "I guessed you'd want to talk about her and Ren."

"Oh. Thanks, I guess?" said Lyon. That girl was smarter than she let on.

And she was still following him.

"You haven't answered my question yet."

"Which one was that?"

"Where're you going?" Chelia asked again.

"For some air. I'll be back soon."

"Lyon… Didn't Sherry say you should stay put?"

"And what makes you think that?"

"Because she told me. She actually sent me to keep an eye on you. She said you'd probably be a stubborn idiot."

"Glad to see she thinks so highly of me," he said dryly.

"You know Sherry's not going to like this."

Lyon stopped, looking at Chelia seriously. "That's why you won't tell her."

The girl's eyes were wide as she paused. Then she grinned. "What's in it for me?" she asked.

Lyon frowned, trying to come up with a good bribe. Jewels? No. A favor, maybe? Then it occurred to him.

"A week worth of ice cream sundaes," he said.

"Make it two and you've got a deal," chirped Chelia.

"Done."

Chelia raised a hand to stop him. "… _but_ you have to tell me where you're going."

"Why do you care? Where I'm going shouldn't matter to you."

Chelia sighed. "How mad do you think Sherry's going to be this time?" she asked, deliberately.

Lyon sighed. "Chelia Blendy, you drive a hard bargain."

The girl had the guile to grin at him. She twirled a pigtail in would-be innocence.

It took a few minutes for Lyon to explain the situation to Chelia's satisfaction and even more work to get her to promise to stay quiet. And _then_ she had demanded he pay up front, so he had to hand over enough Jewels for her first ice cream before he was allowed to head off to the station.

He managed to catch the train just as it was pulling away. Finally, _finally_ , he was bound for Worth Woodsea. Destination: Blue Pegasus.

* * *

 **Chelia Blendy. Extortionist in Training. :)**

 **Next time, in** ** _[Mazeverse] A Promise_** **, Sherry gets wind of Lyon's plan:** _"Chelia. Where is he?"_

 **Stop back next Friday for the next installment, or just follow me, Karine of R011ingThunder.  
**

 **Side note: So we're just under half-way through this fic (with 4 more chapters to go). After this, I'll start posting the Mazeverse version of the 413 Days episode. I still haven't settled on a title for it. I'd love to hear your suggestions.**


	4. Sherry Gets Involved

**Happy Friday! I hope everyone's 2018 is starting out awesome!**

 **I'm looking for some input from you guys. I need a creative title for the next story. It revolves around the whole 'Juvia and Gray's 413th Day Anniversary' plot, but with Mazeverse twist. The game-changer here is that Juvia tries to get Lyon to "help" and play wingman again. (As ridiculous as it seems to go to Lyon for relationship help, all things considered, it could be much worse. I mean, in the anime, Juvia ends up asking _Laki_ and _Natsu_ for advice (and others who made some sense). I'd rather ask Lyon than Natsu, just sayin'.**

 **Let me know what your title suggestions are in a review. I appreciate all the continued support! - K. Chandler**

* * *

The Ooba's errands hadn't taken as long as Sherry had expected. She was pleasantly surprised. But there were more surprises that afternoon.

"Sherry! You're back early…" Chelia's words were muffled as she spoke around a plastic spoon. She held a cup of ice cream in one hand.

Sherry wasn't expecting to see her cousin downtown. She looked around, her eyes narrowing. Chelia appeared to be alone. "I thought you were supposed to be watching Lyon."

"About that." Chelia chuckled, one hand drifting to the back of her head.

"Chelia. Where is he?"

Chelia shrugged. But her left foot traced circles on the sidewalk.

She _knew._ It was obvious.

"Tell me," said Sherry.

"He made me promise!"

" _Chelia_."

Chelia shook her head stubbornly, her pigtails bouncing. Chelia's loyalty to Lyon was almost touching. And in some other time and place, Sherry might have been moved to tears. It was _love_. But not today.

Sherry gave a tight smile. "I'll buy you those earrings you wanted."

Chelia's eyes widened. "No way! You mean the ones—"

Sherry nodded. "—that we saw last weekend. The green ones."

The words were out before Sherry could even blink.

"HewenttoBluePegasus."

"Huh? You have to slow down."

Chelia took a breath. "Lyon went to Blue Pegasus."

"He did _what_? Why?" Sherry frowned.

"He said something about talking to Ren."

Why would he do that? Sherry's mind spun with possibilities, but everything pointed to one conclusion.

"That idiot! Always pushing himself. And after everything that happened earlier, too!" Sherry shook her head.

Lyon had always harbored an impulsive streak. She had thought that he'd outgrown it, but it seemed he was as reckless as ever.

"And he thinks _I_ go to extremes…" Sherry snorted. "Come on, Chelia."

"Where are we going?"

"After Lyon. Where else?"

* * *

 **Lyon's in trouble now...**

 **Next time, in** ** _[Mazeverse] A Promise_** **, Lyon catches up with Ren:** _Lyon smirked. "That's not a threat. It's a promise."_

 **Stop back next Friday for the next installment, or just follow me, Karine of R011ingThunder.**


	5. Lyon's Official Lamia Scale Business

**It's Friday! This is the chapter that inspired this fic (and therefore where the title comes from). So excited to share this with you! - K. Chandler**

* * *

The ride to Worth Woodsea wasn't a long one. But it gave Lyon the time he needed to craft a plan of attack. Lyon had decided not to stop by the Blue Pegasus Guild Hall, instead opting to go to Master Bob's villa directly.

Master Bob's second home was both a meeting place for guild members and the unofficial Blue Pegasus recruitment center. This was where Lyon would find Ren. He was one of the Trimens, Blue Pegasus's all-male recruitment team.

Glancing at the extravagant domicile, Lyon gave a disdainful snort. The building's design certainly spoke to the sort of individuals he'd find inside. His younger self would have waltzed in and covered the entire place in vindictive ice before taking his leave. Part of him was still tempted to do just that. He smiled in grim satisfaction. It would certainly send quite a message.

But, no. There was no need for wanton destruction. He wasn't about to have someone mistake him for one of those idiots from Fairy Tail. The corners of Lyon's mouth lifted in fond amusement as his thoughts drifted to his foster brother and the rest of that foolish guild.

Lyon had already decided that he'd be civil. After all, he was acting as a representative. Lyon wasn't here as himself or even on behalf of Sherry. He was here to represent Lamia Scale on official business.

Lyon knocked on the door of the mansion before letting himself in.

"Greetings!" a too-chipper voice sang out. "I'm so glad you've come. I take it you are interested in joining the Blue—" The blond boy paused midsentence, his arms raised in dramatic declaration. Lyon recognized him. It was the Ice Mage from that joint mission. Steve, or something.

Lyon kept the amusement from his features as he responded. "Greetings to you as well," he said formally.

Apparently, Steve recognized him too. "Oh, it's just you…Sherry's friend from Lamia Scale."

"Yes, that's right. I'm Lyon Vastia."

"What brings you to Blue Pegasus? Did you want to try out another guild? It's totally understandable understand if you wanted to be part of a stronger guild. You'd certainly be in good company if you -"

A stronger guild? Lyon refrained from rolling his eyes. "Actually, I'm here on official Lamia Scale business," he said politely. "Is Ren Akatsuki here?"

"He's in the back," said Steve. "Funny, he didn't say he was expecting guests today…"

"He's not," said Lyon.

Steve led Lyon to a small parlor that was more to the side than the back. "I'll get him," Steve said.

Lyon waited by the door.

Ren sat on a plush couch next to a blonde girl, who was posed coquettishly.

"So, water magic, huh?" said Ren, looking off to the side. "That's kind of cool. Water and air sort of go together. Not saying that we go together or anything."

Water and _air_? Lyon snorted. Everyone knew that water and _ice_ were complementary. And even water and fire sort of made sense. But water and _air_?

"You think so?" asked the girl. She was sort of pretty, but the hungry way kept raking her eyes over Ren sort of ruined the effect.

"Ren," said Steve, with a discrete gesture to indicate Lyon's presence. "I'll take it from here."

Ren gave a surprised frown, but he nodded, standing. "Looks like Eve won't let me monopolize your time. Not that it bothers me."

So that was his name! _Eve_ held out his hand to the girl, sitting down next to her. "It's a pleasure to meet you! I'm Eve. What's your name?"

"I'd really like it if you decided to join Blue Pegasus," Ren called out with a backwards wave. "Not because I like you or anything," he added.

Lyon's eyes narrowed. "Of course not," he said tersely.

"Hm?"

"You _certainly_ wouldn't like her or anything," drawled Lyon. "No. That might just upset your new girlfriend." He crossed his arms.

"What are you talking about?" asked Ren.

Lyon fisted his hands. "Why don't we take this outside?"

"You going to tell me what this is about or not?" asked Ren, once they were outside the mansion.

"I'm here to deliver a message," announced Lyon. He fisted his left hand and pressed it to his right palm. "I've come from Lamia Scale."

Ren frowned, wrapping his arms around himself. He shivered as the temperature plummeted.

Lyon smirked. "Lamia Scale wizards do not take kindly to insults to their guild. You are aware of this, yes?"

Ren's breath formed clouds. "Insults? What are you talking about? Did Sherry send you?"

"So, you _do_ remember her," mocked Lyon.

The wind picked up, rustling the leaves and tugging at Lyon's cloak. He doubted it was a coincidence. Ren practiced air magic.

"Of course, I remember," said Ren, taking a step forward. "And where do you get off telling me how to handle my girlfriend?" He crossed his arms.

"So, you do remember your commitment to Sherry. With your behavior back there, I was afraid you'd forgotten." Frost shot along the grass, covering the lawn with a perfect layer of white.

"Us Trimens help with recruiting. Just something for a little extra Jewel," said Ren. "It's not like I meant anything by it." He gave a dismissive shrug.

"Do you ever mean it? Or do you just say whatever comes to mind?" Lyon spat.

"What are you saying?" Ren asked, his voice low and dangerous. "You calling me a liar?" With a swift flick, Ren sent up a spurt of grass and gravel.

Lyon flinched, clenching his jaw. This is how he wanted to play it?

"She might be your girlfriend…but Sherry's one of ours," snarled Lyon. "As such she's under the protection of Lamia Scale."

Lyon melted the image of a Lamia into the frost, the green grass peeking out in stark contrast to the white.

"Fortunately for you, I'm the only representative from Lamia Scale today. You're lucky our Guild Master didn't send Wizard Saint Jura Neekis. He looks something like this." Lyon fashioned a life-sized Jura-clone from ice. "Jura can be a little bit intimidating when he's upset. Then, he looks a little more like this."

Lyon brought his hands together, his signature Snow Dragon diving for Ren. He felt a little badly for making fun of Jura this way. But at least he didn't compare Jura to his Snow Ape. At least dragons were sort of cool.

"What—are you crazy?" shouted Ren, blasting Lyon's creation with a shot of his Air Magic.

Lyon's ribs were starting to ache again, but he wasn't about to back down. Not now.

"You haven't seen crazy yet," said Lyon. "Insult a Lamia Scale wizard and you'll have to deal with the wrath of the Lamia Scale Guild. Disrespect Sherry, and you'll have _me_ to deal with."

"Are you threatening me?" asked Ren.

Lyon smirked. "That's not a threat. It's a promise."

"You think you're all that, coming here and tearing up our guild hall?" Ren scowled. "You've got another thought coming." A pulse of air shot from Ren's open hands, knocking Lyon to the ground.

A jolt of pain lanced through Lyon's side, making his breath catch. He ignored it. "A little wind's not going to hurt me," he said.

Lyon pressed his palms into the frost-covered grass, turning the ground into an ice rink and encasing Ren too.

* * *

 **Dun-dun-dun! Anybody else totally loving Lyon right now? :) I admit, he's being a bit (very) ridiculous at the moment, but all in good fun.  
**

 **I've always believed that Lyon cares a lot more than he lets on and that he expresses this through his actions: by** ** **making abrasive comments (though he typically saves that for Gray) and** by being a fiercely (over)protective pain-in-the-butt. This drives him to start poking his nose where it doesn't belong and it's one of the reasons why Mazeverse deviates from canon. Lyon's meddling, along with four or five other differences and assumptions, start to snowball (pun intended) and (hopefully) take us someplace just a little bit unexpected.**

 **Next time, in** ** _[Mazeverse] A Promise,_** **Sherry interrupts another fight:** _"_ _Does somebody want to tell me what's going on here?" demanded Sherry._

 **Stop back next Friday for the next installment, or just follow me, Karine of R011ingThunder.**


	6. Lamias on Ice

**It's Friday! Who's excited for the weekend?!**

 **This week's chapter... starring Ren Akatsuki as Bambi. - K. Chandler**

* * *

Sherry arrived at the Blue Pegasus recruitment hall with Chelia in tow. Their visit to the main Guild Hall had been fruitless, but this time they were in the right place. She could tell. Even from a distance, Master Bob's villa looked like a Winter Wonderland.

"It's so pretty…" said Chelia. "Almost like a Christmas card!"

Sherry pursed her lips. "Come on," she said.

But she wasn't quite prepared for the extent of the damage.

Layers of ice clung to the outside of Master Bob's beautiful two-story mansion. The entire lawn sparkled white. One of the trees had been transformed into an ice turret.

Sherry's lips parted in horror. Ren…

Pulses of air, like blades, soared past, leaving shattered ice in its wake. Ren charged forward, lunging at his opponent.

"You'll have to do better than that!" taunted Lyon.

With Ren on his heels, Lyon glided across the courtyard, but his movements were less graceful than usual. One hand braced his injured side. He raised the other in a flourish, creating a curving ramp out of the ice.

He shot down it.

Ren followed.

"Why you—" Flailing, Ren struggled to keep his balance, losing traction. He landed on his rear in a tangle of limbs.

Sherry winced in sympathy. Her sweetheart was just not a skater.

Doubled over, Lyon gave a breathy laugh. "Admit defeat," he wheezed.

"To you?" asked Ren. He planted his feet carefully, trying to hoist himself back up. He slipped again, spinning across the ice.

Sherry had never been more torn. On one hand, she wanted to run in to help Ren. He was struggling to keep his footing and she wanted to make sure he was all right. On the other, she knew that jumping in was the last thing she should be doing.

That, and Ren looked perfectly fine. Lyon was the one who looked like he was about to collapse.

She had told him to stay put. And he didn't. Like always, he thought he knew better and went tearing off by himself, causing all sorts of trouble.

Sherry clenched a determined fist. She had to stop this fight.

"Come on! Get up!" Eve shouted from the sidelines.

"Do it, Ren! Do it for Blue Pegasus!" called Hibiki.

Sherry stared at the other two Trimens members. Why were Ren's friends just standing there? Did they think this a perfectly normal occurrence? She shook her head. That wasn't _love_!

"You can do it, Lyon!" cheered Chelia, punching an exuberant fist in the air. "I believe in you!"

"Chelia!" scolded Sherry, her words forming a puff of white. "Stop it," she hissed.

Her cousin pouted. "But I want to cheer for Lyon…"

"No! Stop it, all of you!" she shouted. "That's enough."

For the second time that day, Sherry interrupted one of Lyon's fights.

But, this time, Lyon ducked, avoiding Ren's final attack. He spun to look at her, a flash of guilt in his dark eyes.

"Does somebody want to tell me what's going on here?" demanded Sherry. "I was worried that something bad had happened to both of you, but it looks like everybody's _fine_ ," she ground out.

Ren stared at the ground, his embarrassed flush visible, in spite of his tan. "Sherry… I…"

"Miss Sherry! And a Mini-Sherry," said Eve.

"I'm Chelia, not Mini-Sherry," she corrected.

"Welcome," said Hibiki.

"I'm so glad you came," said Eve. "Now we can do a three-on-three."

"No, we can't. That's not _love_ ," said Sherry.

"Sherry…" said Ren.

"Not now," she said tersely. She glowered at him. "I've had enough stupidity for one day. From both of you. We're going home. Lyon?"

"Don't be too hard on him," whispered Hibiki. "I'm sure he was just trying to protect you."

"That's not true," said Lyon. Somehow, he'd managed to hear them. "Remember earlier, I said I'd show you just what a Lamia Scale mage can do. Sherry's is a Lamia Scale mage, too. She's can handle herself. Keep that in mind."

"Now, that's _love_!" Chelia grinned.

"Yeah." Sherry could feel her own expression soften. Lyon was just stating the facts, but coming from him, that was high praise.

Gingerly, Lyon skated over to Ren, offering him a hand. "But I wanted to make sure you and I understood each other. I hope everything is clear now."

"Clear as ice," said Ren, eyeing the layers of it that enshrouded their recruitment hall.

"It'd better be." Lyon waved a hand, letting the ice fade away.

Sherry was glad Lyon was able to return the grounds to normal so easily. Had they caused any permanent damage, Ooba would definitely have spun them for it. Sherry shuddered.

"Maybe some time we can do this again," suggested Ren quietly. "Not that I enjoyed it or anything."

"It'd be an honor. Provided we're meeting under more… _pleasant_ circumstances, that is," Lyon grinned crookedly.

"Yeah."

"You two…" said Sherry, shaking her head in exasperation. "Don't tell me you were enjoying yourselves."

"It did look like a lot of fun," said Hibiki.

"Maybe next time we can all join in," said Lyon. He was still breathing hard, but he looked far too pleased with himself.

"We'll see," said Sherry.

Ren and the others sent them off in typical Trimen fashion.

"Good-bye!" shouted Chelia, waving merrily.

"Be sure to visit us again!" called Eve.

* * *

 **Mental note. Don't piss Sherry off. :) Although, it looks like our boys have reached an understanding.  
**

 **So this is the point when Lyon officially became my favorite character. He's the first of several characters that really grew on me while I was writing. (As I continue to post, I'll point out the others if I remember.) If you're following along with the rest of this 'verse, you'll start to see these 'breakout' characters start to make their mark and sort of take over parts of the plotline that I didn't originally intend for.**

 **We're headed for the home stretch of this particular story! Next time, the final chapter of** ** _[Mazeverse] A Promise_** **:** _"_ _But just because you can take care of yourself doesn't mean that I won't try to."_

 **Stop back next Friday for the next installment, or just follow me, Karine of R011ingThunder.**


	7. That's Love

**Happy Friday, everyone! This is the final chapter of** ** _A Promise_** **. I appreciate all the support I've gotten on this story so far. It makes me excited to keep on writing and keep on sharing.**

 **As a teaser, I've been working on a fic in another 'verse. I'm kind of excited about it. I'm almost done with that one, so maybe in the next month or so, I'll be able to start putting up chapters of that too. - K. Chandler**

* * *

Lyon looked smug. He reclined against the side of the train car, his feet propped up on the seat next to him, an ice pack pressed against his side.

"You're such an idiot," groused Sherry, but there was no heat in her words. She watched the countryside streak past the train window.

Lyon had made it half way to the station before he had collapsed on her. She and Chelia had to support him the rest of the way. He was still paler than she would have liked and his face had a pinched look that told her that he was in more pain than he'd care to admit. Maybe now he'd finally stay put and stop causing trouble.

"What were you even doing all the way out there?" Sherry asked.

"I told you before. I just wanted to have a conversation with your boyfriend."

At least he had stopped calling Ren the 'Blue Pegasus Playboy.'

"That's your idea of a conversation? Do you even know how worried I was to see the two of you fighting?"

Lyon sighed. "You weren't supposed to see that," he said quietly. He frowned. "And you wouldn't have if somebody had kept her mouth shut like she promised…"

"Me?" Chelia pointed at herself innocently.

Lyon gave her a pointed look.

Chelia laughed. "Yeah, sorry, Lyon," she said, not looking the least bit remorseful. "But Sherry's bribe was way better than yours."

"I'll have to keep that in mind for next week," said Lyon wryly. He sounded cross, but amusement flashed in his eyes.

Chelia's face brightened. "Can you freeze over our backyard too? I'd love to fight you in an ice arena. That looked way awesome!"

Sherry cut them off. "You are _not_ sparring next week," Sherry said flatly. "I'm confining you to bed rest."

Lyon shrugged, clearly ignoring her. "Not a bad idea," he said to Chelia. "But if you think you can beat _me_ on ice…" His expression turned haughty.

Sherry huffed. "You're so stubborn. Where's the _love_ , Lyon? Hm? Don't think I'm not still mad at you just because of what you said back there."

Lyon didn't say anything.

"Did you mean it?" Sherry let her eyes flit to her companion before looking away.

"Did I mean what?"

"Earlier. When you said I could handle myself," she mumbled.

"Of course, I meant it," said Lyon. "You and I both know it's true." He looked her square in the eye. "But just because you can take care of yourself doesn't mean that I won't try to. We're a team. You, me, Toby, Yuka—"

"And me?" asked Chelia.

"Yeah, and you, Chelia. And even Jura and the Old Hag too," said Lyon. "All of us look out for each other. There's nothing wrong with that."

"Because we're Lamia Scale wizards," said Chelia with a grin.

"That's right," said Lyon.

"No," said Sherry. "That's _love_."

* * *

 **And cue the cheesy music. :)**

 **I'll be posting a new story next week. We've got more Lyon coming up as he helps Juvia work through a very special anniversary. Yes,** ** _that_** **anniversary. This is the** ** _[Mazeverse]_** **answer to the anime episode '413 Days'. Get ready for some Lyvia, Gruvia and Grayza? The love triangle has just become a love square. (And we're just getting started.)**

 **Stop back next Friday for** ** ** _Anniversary: Special, Just Because_** , or just follow me, Karine of R011ingThunder.**


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